I learned something important from watching an old cowboy shoe a horse.
It was in Tom Selleck’s 2001 movie “Crossfire Trail,” from a Louis L’Amour novel.
The young character J. T. Langston (Christian Kane) works furiously at a crusted horseshoe with a file, holding the horse’s leg between his knees as he bends to his work.
Aging cowboy Joe Gill (Wilford Brimley), similarly engaged on a different horse, offers dry advice: “Better slow down there, young fella.”
Langston: “What difference does it make?”
Gill (exercising long, smooth strokes with his file): “Well, see, if you take your time, you get a more harmonious outcome.”
It’s a life lesson: Focus on the task, use the tool right, apply concentration, solve the problem.
The train wreck approaches
Whatever “a more harmonious outcome” is, we all want one. For those of us who, in our better moments, are Biblically minded, Solomon’s summary of old age is as frightening as it is inevitable:
the sun, the light, the moon and the stars grow dark
those looking through the windows grow dim
the grinders cease because they are few
people rise up at the sound of birds
and desire is no longer stirred
Ecclesiastes 12:1-5 NIV
It does not take a seminary degree to understand what he’s talking about. While there is no fountain of youth waiting for us, Solomon points the way in his simple phrase, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach…”
The “days of your youth” we all get. And taking some action “before the days of trouble come” resonates with us. But it leaves the question:
What does “Remember your Creator” look like? How do we put shoe leather to it?
Seek peace, seek prosperity
Some 500 years after Solomon wrote those words, the Jewish prophet Jeremiah was caught, through no choice of his own, in national disaster. The invading army of Babylon threatened Jerusalem with overwhelming force, his people had abandoned the faith in God which was their only defense, and ignominious defeat was unavoidable.
God’s chosen nation would be taken captive, to serve a heathen people in a godless place far from home.
Jeremiah’s words were not exactly comforting, but they showed a path forward for those who would hear: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7
Jeremiah urged acknowledgement of the reality and adaptation to the circumstances of their situation.
But I don’t WANT to get old!
Well… get used to it. Embrace your future!
The prophet suggested that, because of God’s chastisement, the people would remain in that foreign land for 70 years. While that may seem arbitrary to our ears, he offers a reason for the timeline. (I won’t go into it here, because for the moment it is a rabbit trail. If you are interested, see Leviticus 25:4, 26:43; Jeremiah 29:10; 2 Chronicles 36:21.)
The implication for Jeremiah’s audience is that they would grow old and die in their new surroundings. Pretty bad, right? This dismal prospect is offset by his vision of what their remaining days could be like:
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
This is probably what Solomon meant by remembering your Creator “before the days of trouble come.”
The “days of trouble” were NOT the captivity in Babylon. The “days of trouble” were finding themselves in discouragement, irrelevance and poverty because they had failed to remember their Creator.
God offered individuals deliverance even as the nation was devastated. It is a key message of the Old Testament, and is fleshed out in the New.
Health, Wealth, Legacy
Contemplating Jeremiah’s “tree planted by the water,” what are the 21st century components of roots, leaves and fruit?
Without being overly spiritual about that text, in today’s America the senior citizen faces certain unsettling prospects:
Physical infirmity — what if I get sick?
Inflated cost of living — my money won’t last
Increasing irrelevance — they don’t listen to me anymore
We are squeezed between rising costs and extended life expectancy. There is only one age reality left to you: The age you are now.
So lean into it. Develop plans and execute them. Keep learning and keep applying the lessons.
Health: Get exercise, see your doctor, take your meds, eat healthy, avoid risks.
Wealth: Be productive, start a side hustle, solve problems, recognize your value.
Legacy: Take an interest in younger contacts, come alongside those you can assist.
Unlike in Solomon’s or Jeremiah’s day, we are blessed with technology. (Okay, you think you are cursed with it. I get that. But get over it: Recognize the potential and exploit it.) Social media, text messaging and real-time multi-participant video conferencing have completely disrupted what we used to think of as the retirement years.
If you are bewildered by this, just get help. There is lots of it out there.
Be strong, and take action!
For those of us who are gray or who will turn gray (which is approximately 100% of us), retirement must be reimagined. This is the Best Half of your life!
Daniel the prophet, who was one of those whom Jeremiah said would be forcibly removed to Babylon, put it this way:
The people who know their God will be strong and take action.. (Daniel 11:32b NAS)
So, let’s get after it!
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"Before the Days of Trouble Come..."